Groundhog Twilight
by zajaclina
Summary: It's Groundhog Day, and a new student is starting at Forks High. What will happen when Edward ends up repeating the day? And what is up with Emmett and that groundhog?


**A/N: All publicly recognized characters/scenarios/quotes are the property of the first people to come up with them. I just came up with this crazy idea of subjecting Edward to the movie Groundhog Day.**

Bill Murray is a Comic Genius!

Emmett was really getting on my nerves.

It had started at midnight, February second, when he loudly announced, "It's Groundhog Day!"

He had only gotten worse since then.

Forks, Washington had decided to join in on the small town tradition of Groundhog Day. From the moment Emmett had learned of "Frederick Forks" - since putting the town name first was apparently overdone - he had been giddy at the concept. Not that Emmett believed the rodent could truly predict winter's end, he simply felt it would be amusing to attend the ceremony and watch the chaos that would ensue as the poor creature fled from the presence of seven vampires.

Then, despite having it in his flawless vampire memory, Emmett decided to watch "Groundhog Day." Repeatedly. His favourite mental image came when the master of ceremonies removed the groundhog from his hole. _Takeout!_ I shuddered as he pictured it for the third time, and left the house.

Alice tossed me a pen as I stormed out. _Be back by seven, and try not to get the ink on your shoes._ I sighed as I grabbed my journal from my Volvo, resolving to use the new pen from Alice as opposed to the defective one tucked in the pages. _Won't help, Edward. Take them both._

Apparently I was going to break a pen. Unless I cornered Alice and made her tell me what was going to happen. _Not until you start reading out loud. If you don't want to break the pen, don't write._

Helpful, but only just. I tossed the journal back into my bag and slid into the driver's seat. Since writing seemed to be counterproductive, perhaps driving would keep me entertained. Though very little did anymore.

I hunted as needed. I completed high school assignments perfectly by rote to maintain camouflage. Beyond that, I simply drifted. As the saying goes, "The more things change, the more they stay the same." I had seen it all in thousands of minds, and I just couldn't care anymore. Nothing was ever truly new, and nothing ever took me by surprise.

I barely noticed where I was driving as I wracked my brain for something to occupy it. I envied humans their crosswords and Sudoku, which posed no challenge for me. I envied my family their mates, close company in eternal damnation. Most of all, I envied my birth parents' eternal rest.

Pulling over sharply I threw the Volvo into park and sprinted into the trees. Emmett would have been proud of me as I uprooted trees and tossed around small boulders in what could only be called a temper tantrum. Surveying the damage I smirked ruefully; at least there was no ink on my shoes.

I ran my hand through my hair, dislodging detritus from my outburst. Now I would have to be home early to shower. Sighing, I brushed off what I could before climbing back into my car. Just because I had time on my hands didn't mean I wanted to spend it vacuuming.

xxxXXXxxxXXXxxxXXXxxx

Pulling up to the house, I left the car out front, knowing I would only be driving to Forks High shortly anyway. Hearing that Carlisle had put his foot down regarding Emmett's plans for Groundhog Day, I slipped up to my room to shower quickly. Of course Alice had a fresh set of clothes laid out on my bed.

_Oh cheer up, Edward. Chief Swan's daughter starts today. That's got to be good for a few laughs watching the boys throw themselves at a shiny new toy. I wonder why she's starting on a Wednesday._ I rolled my eyes. One more vapid teenage female mind filled with vapid teenage fantasies to ignore and block as best I could; why wouldn't I be excited? Pushing the thought from my mind, I cleaned up quickly.

As I emerged from my shower I heard the radio alarm clock click on. Esme insisted we all keep an alarm clock set for appearances. Morning radio hosts were unnaturally chipper; and that coming from someone who never slept. "It's Groundhog Day! Here we have a special request from Rose for her Emmy-Bear."

Sonny and Cher's "I Got You Babe," began to play in the background as the second morning host chimed in. "And it comes with this loving message; 'If you ever make me watch that movie again, I will feed _you_ to the groundhog!'" I smirked. I would pay money to see Rose pull that off.

"Ouch! Time to let Bill Murray go, Emmy-Bear, because Rose sounded smoking hot and fuming mad!" The song shifted to full volume as the first announcer finished his inane commentary.

I switched off the radio before my ears could be further assaulted, only to realize Alice had set every radio in the house to the same station. "But Rose, it's a classic! Bill Murray is a comic genius!" I listened to his pleas briefly, chuckling as I put on my clothing. Rosalie would get her way, and Emmett would never see the movie again. _See? I knew you'd find humour in at least one thing today._

Grabbing my stack of textbooks from the shelf I looked around for my bag, remembering I had left it in the car. I only ever brought the books inside to maintain human habits. The material was thoroughly memorized, and I completed all my assignments at school. I could start doing the homework at home, but then I'd have nothing to do during classes.

"Forget it, Emmett. I'm with Rose on this one." His smile fell as he lost his last potential ally. "Never would be far too soon to see that movie again. Especially if you insist on thinking of the groundhog as takeout."

"OW! It was a _joke_, Rose!" _And one that I wasn't about to say out loud, _Eddie_!_ Suppressing my cringe at the nickname, I sauntered past Emmett and back to my car. Clearly my amusement could only be found in the pain of others. Perhaps the new girl could provide some entertainment after all.

xxxXXXxxxXXXxxxXXXxxx

This was the time of day when I wished I were able to sleep.

High school.

Or was purgatory the right word? If there _was_ any way to atone for my sins, this ought to count toward the tally in some measure. The tedium was not something I grew used to; every day seemed more impossibly monotonous than the last.

Several hundred of these voices I ignored out of boredom.

When it came to the human mind, I'd heard it all before and then some.

I suppose this _was_ my form of sleep—if sleep was defined as the inert state between active periods.

I stared at the cracks running through the plaster in the far corner of the cafeteria, imagining patterns into them that were not there. It was one way to tune out the voices that babbled like the gush of a river inside my head.

Emmett was still fuming over the wrestling match he'd lost to Jasper last night. Rosalie and I weren't the only ones who had grown weary of Emmett's obsession with that movie. Jasper had simply taken it upon himself to confiscate the offending DVD.

The children of Forks High had only two things on their mind the whole morning. The first was whether or not Frederick Forks had seen his shadow, and what it would mean for the weather. Honestly now, this was _Forks_, or course there wasn't enough sunlight to cast a shadow! The official first day of spring was still six weeks away, regardless of what any overgrown squirrel did or did not see. Most people didn't even realize the superstition simply meant the weather would be mild, rather than harsh.

The second, of course, was the new girl. Just an ordinary human girl. It took so little to keep the human minds around me occupied. So far the newcomer was _mysterious_ simply because she had barely spoken. So much for any entertainment from that front.

Alice checked in with me about Jasper's mental state regarding his thirst. His near slip would have been something out of our usual routine, but certainly _not_ a welcome form of excitement. I kicked his chair to break him out of his feeding fantasy.

What kind of gossip must the students make up about the reclusive Cullens?

Ah, yes. Jessica Stanley's voice intruded on my mind. Of course she would be the one to tell the new girl all about the Cullens. Emmett was simply disappointed that Jessica didn't seem interested in embellishing the mystery.

_And the new girl? Is she disappointed in the gossip as well?_

I heard nothing, though I listened close beside where Jessica's frivolous internal monologue continued to gush. It was as if there was no one sitting beside her. How peculiar, had the girl moved? That didn't seem likely, as Jessica was still babbling to her. I looked up to check, feeling off-balance. Checking on what my extra 'hearing' could tell me—it wasn't something I ever had to do.

Again, my gaze locked on those same wide brown eyes. She was sitting right where she had been before, and looking at us, a natural thing to be doing, I supposed, as Jessica was still regaling her with the local gossip about the Cullens.

Thinking about us, too, would be natural.

But I couldn't hear a whisper.

I opened my mind as Jessica continued to prattle, her thoughts often at odds with her words. The flood of thoughts held nothing of interest. Many of them thought _of_ the new girl, but none of the thoughts came _from_ the new girl. I could hear her voice. I watched the parade of emotions across her face. Her thoughts were inaccessible to my gift.

I continued to contemplate the puzzle of her silent mind. Here was the Sudoku I hand been longing for earlier; a puzzle to divert my mind. Much like humans and their logic problems, I knew I would enjoy only a brief moment of satisfaction once this mystery was solved.

It was rather appropriate that Biology was my next class. My _gift_ was not faulty, so the problem must lie within the new girl; some quirk of her genetic makeup kept her thoughts from me. I ran through genetic anomalies and chemical imbalances which might affect her mind as I spread my books out across the table. Perhaps I had encountered someone else with the same defect before. After all, in a crowd it would be impossible to distinguish the absence of one voice.

The background chatter, both internal and auditory, increased as students trickled into the classroom. Of course their thoughts echoed with the new girl; she had just been subject to the scrutiny of the entire school in the middle of the cafeteria. It seemed she would be joining this class.

Poor girl; the seat next to me was the only one available. Automatically, I cleared what would be her side of the desk, shoving my books into a pile. I doubted she would feel very comfortable there. She was in for a long semester - in this class, at least. Perhaps, though, sitting beside her, I'd be able to flush out her secrets…not that I'd ever needed close proximity before…not that I would find anything worth listening to…

Bella Swan walked into the flow of the heated air that blew toward me from the vent.

Her scent hit me like the Apocalypse; it was the end of everything. Before I could finish inhaling my arms were around her and my teeth were at her throat. It was as though the very act of breathing in her luscious fragrance pulled me toward her.

I heard her slight gasp and felt her heart accelerate as my teeth sliced neatly through the delicate flesh to the only thing I needed. It was fire. It was life. I growled from deep in my chest as the taste slid along my tongue, the molten liquid soothing and enflaming at the same time. If I had to wait another eighty years to find a taste this perfect again it would be far too long, yet worth every second of searching.

And I _would_ search.

I swallowed, blissful relief coursing down my throat. The flavour was beyond description. Her scent held only the slimmest promise of what she actually _tasted_ like. It was a perfect of balance of sweet, salt and spice; rich, yet delicate and free of any medicinal tang or intoxicant – though I was intoxicated. She whimpered softly, an oddly needy sound, as I tasted her again. I allowed her blood to linger a little longer this time in my mouth. I groaned at the sensation as I swallowed; a lover's caress sliding down my aching throat.

I greedily pulled in another mouthful of the sweetest ambrosia when I heard it.

"Edward! What are you…?"

Banner.

The most credible witness.

I snapped his neck neatly with one hand as I swallowed hastily this time. One of the perfect Cullens had finally failed to answer a teacher's question. Then again, I hadn't let him finish asking.

I drank once more as the screaming started; the dissonant caterwauling disrupting my enjoyment of the best meal I'd ever had. I growled deep in my chest; she was _mine_, and nobody was going to change that.

I lifted the girl with me as I sprang to the door, my lips never relinquishing their seal on her neck lest any spill. I flipped the lock and pushed a table across the exit. Two large boys charged at me. _Mine!_ I wrapped my body around as best I could to protect my kill. I grabbed the first one around the throat, crushing his windpipe as I threw him against the second. They crumpled to the ground together with a wet crunching sound.

I couldn't take them all one-handed quickly enough. They might already be drawing attention. I wanted to finish slaking my thirst, but I had to defend my prey, my kill. Their noise would take her from me; she was _mine!_ I drank deeply once more as I ripped my shirt off. I wadded it quickly against the Swan girl's neck, and brought both her hands up to hold it firmly in place. "Keep the pressure on," I growled, my face inches from hers. She nodded dazedly. The venom was already impairing her movement, and she was clearly in shock; it would keep her from noticing the burn for a few more seconds.

Fifteen mental voices assaulted me; yelling and shrieking inside and out.

_What the hell is he doing?_

…_can't really be dead? Oh, God…_

…_bit her? What is…_

…_gotta get out…_

…_gotta get past him… _

…_needs a doctor…_

…_call the office…_

…_door's no good. Call button at the front …_

…_call the cops to get Bella out…_

The call button to the office at the front.

_**Mine.**_

Police.

_**Defend.**_

Taking her away.

_**Mine.**_

Doctors.

_**Protect.**_

Taking my prey.

_**MINE! Must defend mine!**_

I snapped four more necks on my way to the front desk. The noise lessened, but the smell of fear increased. God, the _smell_. Flames licked up and down my throat while they tried to take away the _only thing_ that could extinguish them. Her blood was being wasted on my shirt while I dealt with these bleating sheep. Infuriated by that thought, I pulled harder than intended, taking Mike Newton's head completely off. There was no appeal to his blood, not while hers was waiting.

Not while they tried to take away what was mine!

The sight of one of their own beheaded galvanized some of the other students. Those who thought they ought to _do_ something rushed me, ending their lives quickly. Others were sobbing, hiding, _praying_; if prayers were truly answered they would have no need as I would have been long dead. Several had soiled themselves. I would have to take my prey out of here to truly enjoy her once I was done.

The remaining thoughts grew more frantic, incoherent; bouncing around in a frenzy inside my head.

…_doctor..._

…_out…_

…_police…_

…_stop…_

…_save…_

…_help…_

…_leave…_

…_call…_

…_blood…_

…_dead…_

…_kill…_

They would try to kill _me?_ Take what was _mine?_

I tore through the remaining huddle quickly, snapping necks and tossing bodies aside. Finally, my kill was safe. Or was she?

One man and seventeen children lay dead, but where was the last? I looked over to my prey to see Angela Webber hovering over her, pressing her hands against the makeshift bandage to keep pressure on. "Bella, look at me! Stay with me, _please_, don't give up." I made no attempt at silence as I approached, and Angela's head whipped around. "Edward, please, you don't have to do this. Use your cell phone to call for help, she still might make it." Interesting. Her mind was focused on helping the new girl. And me? She thought I had gotten mixed up in something illegal, that drugs might be to blame for my behaviour. Her oddly calm thoughts brought me somewhat back to myself. She was sad that she might not see her twin brothers again, but she only thought of getting help for me and the girl, not begging for her own life. "Call your father. Please. Call Doctor Cullen."

_Carlisle._ He would be disappointed. I sighed deeply. The excrement, urine, and Mike Newton's blood barely masked the nectar that soaked my shirt. I hoped Carlisle could get used to disappointment.

The Swan girl was starting to make little cries of pain as the venom took hold. I had delayed too long already. I looked Angela straight in the eye. "I'm sorry," I said, breaking her neck quickly. Apologizing was the least I could do when she had helped keep my prey fresh.

I quickly brought my mouth back to the wound at the girl's neck, lamenting that which had been spilled. Had I thought this through, none would have been wasted. Had I thought this through, only one life would have ended at my hands today. Had I been capable of thought.

I listened to the minds around as I resumed my feast. There was concern over the screaming, but it had been short-lived, so no one had been sent to investigate yet. The noise was being blamed on high spirits, and the potentially disgusting factor of Biology.

I swiftly cleared and unlocked the door, realizing I had only a small window of time to get my prey to the forest. Her voice was only a quiet whimper at this point, but it would get much louder soon. Once she was deep in the forest, nobody would hear her screams. Then I could take my time with what was left.

I had barely reached the forest when Alice's voice invaded my mind in a despairing wail. _Edward! What did you _do!_ Why, Edward? The Volturi won't take long to figure this out! How are we supposed to fix this? And don't you _dare_ leave her body out there! The chief's daughter? This is going to _destroy_ Charlie Swan! What were you thinking? Were you really so _bored_ that you had to go and _eat _the new girl?_ Her mental tone was harsh, cutting, and loud. _You lectured me about not asking Jasper to push his limits the very day you decide to kill _twenty _people?_ She continued to shriek at me with her mind, alternating between insults, epithets, and her visions of the slain children's families.

I blocked out her voice as best I could. I wanted to savour what remained of this treat. I would help clean up when I was done. Alice was already working on the best plan to cover things up. Sadly, that took very little of her concentration to orchestrate; the rest she continued to focus on berating me. Perhaps in the future she won't lose sight of the greater picture in her focus on Jasper. I knew that wasn't a fair assessment, but I couldn't find it in me to care right now.

The girl's heartbeat had grown sluggish and erratic. She struggled weakly against my body, writhing with the pain of the venom. I should end her pain and end her life. I should be kind. I should _not_ find this the most pleasurable experience of my life! Maybe it was just the way she was positioned, a simple matter of friction, but I had no desire to move her.

I tried to find a balance. I wanted this experience to last as long as possible, but the blood would cool if I tried to take too long. I did my best to block her soft cries, and ignore her subtle movements, but they were fuelling a new need in me as the bloodlust was sated. This was not how I behaved. Even when I had hunted criminals and made them cower in fear, I had ended their lives before feeding. I had been too urgent to feed at first, but now I was simply too aroused by the sensations of her struggles against me. Perhaps this was why I had never found a mate. Perhaps I was sexually deviant. The girl's dying struggles excited me far more than any pornographic images I had encountered. I would have felt ill at the thought if I wasn't so satisfied with my current position.

All too soon, the girl's movement ceased, and there was no more blood. But there was also no thirst. I looked mournfully at my shirt. I might never again find anything so perfect, and so much of it had been wasted. I decided to keep the shirt, at least for a time.

_If you're quite finished now, Edward, we need a few things._ I sighed. Alice. I would have to find a way to repay her for this. I would have to find a way to repay everyone. We had to leave, and there would be questions and sacrifices. The last time I had tasted human blood I had lived alone rather than burden my family with it. This time, I had harmed everyone. And not just by disappointing them. _Today, please, Edward! Bring the body and the shirt. You're about to become a heroic victim._

I could hear the distaste in her thoughts for what we had to do, and the impression it would leave of me. I would be the missing student who had clearly tried to fight off crazed attackers with a grudge against a small-town teacher. The struggle was already being fabricated, so I hurried the body back into the biology room.

The carnage was shocking now that I had come back to myself. I knew some of it had been added to enforce the illusion, but most of it was from me. Bodies lay sprawled at unnatural angles. Their crumpled bodies tossed aside like broken dolls. I had to faith in Alice's vision, and her plan. I could barely believe one bloodlust crazed vampire had done this much damage, but she had found a way to make the town believe a few mortals had wrought this bloodshed.

I placed the Swan girl beside Angela, repositioning them as they were pictured in Alice's mind. As I wadded my shirt against the wound, I was grateful our teeth did not leave the distinctive marks Hollywood portrayed.

Alice was searching the future, mapping out the actions I needed to take to save our family. _Sheer idiocy! I hope she was worth it, Edward, because I will _not_ let you slip like this again!_ She allowed her vision to flash to Angela Webber's brothers weeping at her funeral. _If you had to have her, couldn't you have taken out witnesses _first?_ Saved some of them a little suffering?_ Mike Newton's mother, sobbing over her son's closed casket. _Did it even cross your mind that you could lure her away and only destroy _one _family?_ Charlie Swan again, looking lost, broken and twenty years older. A woman who could only be the girl's mother stood nearby, crying in the arms of a younger man; then the vision went blank. _I have no idea what's going to happen with him, Edward. _

I hung my head in shame. She was right. I could have done so many things differently. It troubled me that Alice had no vision of Chief Swan beyond the funeral. I prided myself on my control. One girl had broken me. One ordinary, human girl had caused me to end twenty innocent lives, her own included, simply by walking by me. And now, I had to protect my family after destroying so many others.

The props were in place. Alice darted over to the door, ready to make her way back to her own class. She had orchestrated this is shifts so that nobody's absence would be noteworthy. Except my own. _Exactly as I've shown you Edward. Please try to keep the timing precise. You've made more than enough mess for one lifetime today._

I nodded my understanding as she left. Thoughts in the school had taken on a concerned tone. Nobody ever wanted to believe this sort of tragedy could happen in their own school, which was why we had the time we did. I took a deep breath to prepare myself for the role I was about to play.

The scent hit me again, still wet. My eyes snapped to Angela's hands where some blood had pooled between her fingers. _Leave it, Edward! Unless you want the Volturi to burn us all! And I _will_ give you up to stop them hurting Jasper!_ I locked my jaw and stopped breathing.

I yanked my phone out of my pocket and dialled Carlisle's office, knowing Alice had already explained by cell phone. All lines into the hospital were recorded for security purposes.

He answered quickly and professionally. "Doctor Carlisle Cul…"

"Dad! Oh God! There's blood everywhere Dad! They're all dead, they're just…" Locking my jaw seemed to have added a frantic edge to my performance. This had to be done right, and it had to be done quickly. Surprisingly little time had passed since the Apocalypse, but there was little time left.

"Edward? Calm down, son. What's going on? Where are you?" Perfect fatherly concern. Just the right inflection of an edge of panic. I never imagined I would be the one having one of these mock conversations with Carlisle.

"Oh God! Why did they leave me alive? I have to go after them! I'm the only one who knows what they look like!" I moved to the front of the room, ready to push the office call button I had guarded minutes before.

"No, Edward!" More panic, more fear – flawless. "Wait for the police! I'll call…"

"I can't! I have to _do_ something!" The irony was not lost on me that I was repeating words of children I had recently murdered.

Tossing my phone to the ground I pushed the button that would connect me with the office. Mrs. Cope's overly cheerful voice echoed from the tinny speaker, "Yes, Mr. Banner?"

"Call 911!" I choked. I had run out of air, and my breath had pulled in her scent again. I was barely able to keep from licking Angela's hands clean. "God! It's horrible! I have to follow them!"

I ran before she could reply.

Out of the room, out of the building and straight to the forest I ran. I followed the path from Alice's vision, making certain it seemed as though numerous people had passed. I reached my destination long before any human could, but it would take time for the Forks police to mobilize. The school would be placed into lockdown for hours. My disappearance in that time would be easy to explain.

I stumbled as I replayed Alice's vision. One single detail suddenly stood out clearer than the rest. _Chief Swan's _only_ daughter._ The utter devastation when he arrived on scene, with no warning that his daughter would be among the bodies. Stoic Charlie Swan, clutching his daughter's lifeless body, rocking back and forth chanting, "I just got you back, Bells. I just got you back," while tears streamed down his face.

I forced myself to stop replaying the vision. My part in the cover up wasn't done yet, I still had my own family to protect from my errors. I couldn't afford to berate myself for the pain I had brought on others.

Yet.

I found the car Emmett had stolen and left at the roadside for me. Mrs. Hill worked the graveyard shift, so nobody would know when her 1989 red Escort had been stolen. I pulled the extra shoes from the back, and fabricated evidence of a roadside struggle. Tearing my watch from my wrist, I hurled it to the ground as I slid into the driver's seat. Oddly, driving did not seem soothing right now.

I sped away, carefully laying a thick tread of rubber down on the ground. Again, I followed Alice's path. It was a circuitous route that would end with the car being abandoned in a storage yard outside Port Angeles. It wouldn't be found until late tomorrow. I removed my fresh clothes and the extra shoes. After changing quickly, I packed the items into the backpack Alice had provided.

It was time to start my run to Alaska.

Carlisle and Esme would pull the family out of Forks tomorrow, after the getaway car was located. They would cite a desire to be near the rest of their family in this difficult time. In a few months, they would send for their things, too distraught to return.

The Cullen family would fade to a mere memory, though a tragic and mysterious one.

I made my way toward Seattle first. I would have to be seen in several places. Places I could not possibly have reached so quickly. It was the Elvis example. Clearly I couldn't be in so many places at one time, so any sightings would be discredited. I wandered through the streets of Seattle after disposing of the damning backpack.

It was nearly midnight when I wandered past an electronics shop. The display caught my eye, as they still chose to showcase several televisions broadcasting the news.

"Once again, we have more gruesome details from our top story tonight." A nearby clock began to strike midnight as the anchor continued, "The horrific mass murder at a tiny high school in Forks, Washington," I closed my eyes, too deep in my guilt to look on the scene again, wrapped in bright yellow tape. "Is holding its first Groundhog Day Celebration with new local celebrity, Frederick Forks!"

My eyes snapped open as I heard Emmett's voice boom out, "It's Groundhog Day!"

Fuck. My. Unlife.

**A/N part II: So "Groundhog Midnight Sun" would be a more appropriate name, but it just doesn't have the same ring to it. **

**I know this first chapter was lacking in humour, but Bill Murray's first Groundhog Day wasn't that funny either.**

**My plans for this story will earn me the M rating I have assigned, we're just not there yet.**

**Thanks for reading!**

**Extra A/N because I forgot this in the first post; Thanks Anji, for reminding me make Alice more Alice, and Edward less stable. The blow by blow did suck, and did not have the courtsey to swallow. *sigh***


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